Department for Transport

Ribble Valley Railway Line

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to restore passenger services on the Hellifield railway line from Clitheroe.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government has committed £500m to reopen routes and stations and has offered funding to develop ideas for this. We welcome the funding bid from the local MP, Nigel Evans, to explore the case for passenger services north of Clitheroe.

Railways: Standards

earl attlee: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial penalties train operating companies are subject to if a train is cancelled due to (1) a train defect, or (2) a lack of train crew,broken down by each franchise awarded since June 2010.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department holds all its franchised operators to account for their performance through a Franchise Agreement. Each operator’s performance is measured against a set of benchmarks, which includes cancellations; however, these are not disaggregated down to individual types of cancellations, such as train defects. Specific cancellation causes are not connected to set penalties; any expenditure we require operators to incur to improve performance for passengers is linked to their overall performance.

Railways: Capital Investment

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the scheme to re-open railways lines closed by the Beeching report, whether they have a (1) target, or (2) estimate, for (a) the number of stations, and (b) the length of railway, to be reopened by (i) 2025, (ii) 2030, and (iii) in total.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government does not have a target or estimate for the number of stations or length of railway to be reopened by our Reversing Beeching initiate. We have provided an initial £500m and have invited MPs to bring new schemes forward for consideration as well as committing to accelerate existing schemes under consideration and launching a £20m new station fund competition. What can be achieved will be determined by the best bids and opportunities identified.

Northern Rail Franchise

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of any additional cost of operating the rail services in the north of England in the next three years which will be more thanthe agreed payments to Arriva Rail North under the franchise that terminates at the end of February 2020.

baroness vere of norbiton: The financial impact on public funds from the Northern rail franchise being taken into public ownership on 1 March 2020 has not yet been finalised. It will be informed by the 100 day review, which will be carried out under the public sector operator, which will assess the best way to deliver the commitments to passengers and to restore performance of Northern’s rail services.

Cross Country Trains: Finance

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the additional £2.5 million investment made available to CrossCountry trains will result in more seats on services on the routes between the north east and north west, and the south coast and west of England via Birmingham; and when any such improvementswill be in place.

baroness vere of norbiton: As part of the recent announcement, a capacity uplift is being planned for Cross Country intercity routes on services on the routes between the north east and north west, and the south coast and west of England via Birmingham. The aim is for this uplift to take place from December 2020.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Construction: Billing

baroness neville-rolfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how muchfirms in construction supply chains have lost in unpaid retentions since they announced the review of the retention system in October 2015, subsequently published in October 2017.

lord callanan: The 2017 retentions consultation impact assessment estimated the total amount of retention monies unpaid to construction contractors across the whole construction contracting sector in England due to upstream insolvency at £229m per year in 2015 prices. We continue to work with the construction industry and its clients to achieve a consensus on how to resolve the problems associated with cash retentions.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Syria: Armed Conflict

baroness d'souza: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to appoint a specific individual or group to lead on international action to prevent any geopolitical and humanitarian crisis in Idlib.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are gravely concerned by the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Idlib where nearly one million people have been displaced as a result of regime and Russian military action since 1 December 2019. During his visit to Turkey on 3-4 March, the Foreign Secretary discussed the situation and the need for an immediate and lasting ceasefire. The UK is a member of the Syria Small Group, together with the US and key European and Arab states, and the UK Special Envoy for Syria, Martin Longden, has been in close contact with his counterparts on the crisis in Idlib. We currently have no plans to create a further position or grouping to address the situation in Idlib.

Gibraltar: Politics and Government

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they propose to announce the appointment of a new Governor of Gibraltar.

baroness sugg: We are completing the internal processes for confirming the appointment of the new Governor. An announcement will be made once that process is complete.

Gibraltar: Politics and Government

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the last Governor of Gibraltar, General Davis, retired from his role before a new Governor had been appointed.

baroness sugg: A new Governor was selected before Lieutenant General Edward Davis' contract expired and we are completing the process for confirming that appointment. It is not unusual for there to be a gap between Governors. The current Deputy Governor has been sworn in as Governor and will hold that position until the new Governor is ready to assume the functions of their office.

Burkina Faso: Violence

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation in Burkina Faso, following reports of an increased jihadist presence and worsening violence in that country.

baroness sugg: The UK is deeply concerned by the scale of violence in Burkina Faso. In recent months we have seen a number of horrific attacks with tragic consequences for people in the region. More than 700,000 people were registered as displaced in February 2020. The UK condemns these attacks and is committed to working with all partners, including the G5 Sahel countries, to tackle the long-term drivers of instability in the region.The UK is committed to working with the G5 Sahel countries, including the Burkinabe government, to help address instability in the region. Last week, James Duddridge (Minister for Africa) attended the first meeting of the Sahel Alliance General Assembly and G5 Leaders' Summit, where he reaffirmed the UK's commitment to improved security and increased development in the Sahel. The UK is currently supporting Burkina Faso by providing emergency life-saving assistance to those affected by the conflict crisis. The UK is also providing non-combat assistance to the French-led counter terror mission Operation BARKHANE in the form of three CH47 chinook helicopters; this includes support to operations in Burkina Faso.

Integrated Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review

lord tunnicliffe: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to hold a public consultation as part of the Integrated Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The review will engage with a range of stakeholders here and abroad to ensure proper consultation and challenge. The Government will utilise expertise from both inside and outside government for the review, ensuring the UK's best minds are feeding into its conclusions and challenging traditional Whitehall assumptions and thinking as needed.

China: Prisoners

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 2 March (HL Deb, col 390), whether they will place in the Library of the House all reports and correspondence they have received from the World Health Organisation, especially those relating to the transparency of the government of China’s organ transplant system.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We consult and share assessments with a wide range of human rights and international organisations, including the World Health Organisation, on the basis of confidentiality. In order to maintain working relationships with these organisations, we do not publish details of discussions between them and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Northern Ireland Office

Trade: Northern Ireland

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the regulations relating to trade access between Great Britain and Northern Ireland will be (1) published, and (2) enacted.

viscount younger of leckie: As committed to in the agreed New Decade, New Approach deal, this Government will legislate to guarantee unfettered access for Northern Ireland’s businesses to the whole of the UK internal market, and ensure that this legislation is in force for 1 January 2021. The Government is currently considering the best way to implement the Protocol, and will be discussing this with the EU in the Joint Committee and Specialised Committee, as well as engaging extensively with the Executive, wider Assembly and businesses in Northern Ireland.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: China

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) number, and (2) location, of microbiology laboratories in China that handle advanced viruses such as the Wuhan coronavirus; and what assessment they have made of the role any such laboratories may have had in the initial spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.

lord bethell: We do not hold this information.

Genito-urinary Medicine

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Bethell on 24 February (HL Deb, cols 2–3), what the expected increase in the preventative health budget will be; how much of that will directly benefit sexual health services; what steps they are taking to put innovation at the centre of the sexual health strategy; and what assessment they have made of the pressures on the sexual health workforce arising from the increasing prevalence of sexual transmitted infections.

lord bethell: The 2019 Spending Round provided a real terms increase in the public health grant to local authorities. This is in addition to the funding the National Health Service provides for preventative services. Local authorities in England are mandated to provide comprehensive open access sexual health services. It is for individual local authorities to decide their spending priorities based on an assessment of local need, including the need for sexual health services taking account of their statutory duties.Work on the development of a new national sexual and reproductive health strategy is underway. Initial engagement has already taken place and we are considering suggestions for priority areas for the new strategy we received through the Green Paper Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s. Details of the strategy’s scope and objectives will be announced in due course.The Department has not made a specific assessment of the pressures on the sexual health workforce arising from increasing prevalence of sexually transmitted infections.

Dental Services: Fees and Charges

lord colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much revenue was raised from patient charges for NHS dental services in each year since 2015.

lord bethell: The following table shows patient charge revenue for National Health Service dental services from 2015/16 to 2018/19. Year2015/162016/172017/182018/19Total (£ million)743.8776.8807.3856.3 Source: NHS England

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the study in the British Medical Journal by Julian Guest Modelling the annual NHS costs and outcomes attributable to healthcare-associated infections in England, published on 22 January, what action, if any, they propose to take in response to the estimated 834,000 health-associated infections that occurred in a healthcare setting in 2016–17.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the study in the British Medical Journal by Julian Guest Modelling the annual NHS costs and outcomes attributable to healthcare-associated infections in England, published on 22 January,what action, if any, they propose to take in response to the estimated 28,500 patients that died from a health-associated infection in a healthcare setting in 2016–17.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the study in the British Medical Journal by Julian Guest Modelling the annual NHS costs and outcomes attributable to healthcare-associated infections in England, published on 22 January, what action, if any, they propose to take in response to the estimated 7.1 million bed days in NHS hospitals in England that were occupied by patients with a health-associated infection in 2016–17.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the study in the British Medical Journal by Julian Guest Modelling the annual NHS costs and outcomes attributable to healthcare-associated infections in England, published on 22 January, what action, if any, they propose to take in response to the estimated 79,700 days of absenteeism that occurred amongst frontline healthcare professionals working in NHS hospitals in England as a result of health-associated infections in 2016–17.

lord bethell: A survey undertaken in 2016/17 by the European Centre for Disease Control to detect the number of healthcare associated infections (HCAIs), estimated the number in England to be much lower than those in this report at approximately 206,000. Public Health England is developing robust methodologies that will enable greater certainty in estimates of the numbers and costs of HCAIs.While there have been year-on-year reductions in MRSA and C. difficile; E. coli, MSSA, Klebsiella and Pseudomonas infections have increased. From April 2020, the NHS will introduce an annual national reduction target for these bloodstream infections.NHS England and NHS Improvement take a systematic approach to the prevention of infections with a sustained focus at national level. Action on HCAIs forms part of wide- ranging commitments made in the NHS Long Term Plan for preventing ill health among the National Health Service workforce.The United Kingdom’s national action plan on antimicrobial resistance has a strong focus on infection prevention and control and includes the commitment to support research that will help target front line interventions.

Roads: Lighting

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 29 January (HL525), what consideration they are giving to reducing the correlated colour temperature of LED lights in order to avoid any adverse affects on melatonin production in the evening.

lord bethell: Public Health England reviews the scientific literature and maintains regular contact with research groups studying the impact of light exposure on melatonin production. People who received normal levels of light exposure during the day, especially from daylight, appear to be less susceptible to delayed onset of melatonin production in the evening from artificial lighting. The scope to address various performance parameters of lighting sits with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Life Expectancy: Females

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve life expectancy for women in the UK.

lord bethell: The Government wants everyone to have the same opportunity to have a long, healthy life, whoever they are, wherever they live and whatever their background.The best way to improve life expectancy is to prevent health problems from arising in the first place. The Prevention Green Paper published last year set out plans to shift the focus from cure to prevention and the NHS Long Term Plan makes clear commitments to strengthen the National Health Service’s contribution to prevention and health inequalities.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of isolation as a method of containment for suspected cases of Wuhan coronavirus.

lord bethell: Our approach has been guided by the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty and independent experts which includes the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.Isolation is about protecting others and stopping the spread of COVID-19. It is very important that anyone who has or might have been exposed to the virus limits the number of people they come into contact with for 14 days. This is the most effective way of preventing the coronavirus from spreading.

Department for International Development

East Africa: Locusts

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to assist the Food and Agricultural Organisation's support to the areas in East Africa affected by locust swarms and breeding, in particular, assistance with early warning forecasts and alerts on the timings, scale and location of such swarm invasions and breeding.

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received any requests for assistance to support aerial spraying and other control activities to counter the locustswarms affecting East Africa from the affected nations; and how they have responded to any such requests.

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the locust swarms in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia on (1) food security and agricultural livelihoods in the affected areas, and (2) their own programmes in (a) those countries, and (b) the region generally.

baroness sugg: We are deeply concerned about the devastating locust outbreak in East Africa. It is destroying crops, livelihoods and essential food supplies. Millions of people already face food insecurity in the region and this outbreak will exacerbate this challenge. A supercomputer funded by UK aid is helping countries in East Africa to tackle devastating locust outbreaks by tracking the insects’ movements around the continent. The computer based in Kenya uses data to predict where the locusts will move to and develop early warning systems so communities can prepare.The UK has provided £5 million to support the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Regional Emergency Appeal for the locust outbreak. UK aid is also helping to tackle this outbreak though the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, which has released £7.5 million. Our support is having an immediate impact. With UK aid backed funding, the FAO is spraying pesticides on the ground and by air to prevent further damage to crops and protect livelihoods. The Desert Locust Information System continues surveillance and provision of early warning information for affected countries. We believe that quick action now provides the best chance of halting the spread of locusts before the next breeding cycle when staple crops are in the field between March and July.We continue to monitor the situation closely and stand ready to help further. DFID’s existing humanitarian and development programming in the region is working to address current food insecurity and poverty challenges and is ready to flex to respond to this crisis. As rising temperatures due to climate change make such events across Africa more likely, we are also helping communities adapt longer term to climate shocks.

Development Aid

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by The World Bank GroupCapture of Foreign Aid: Evidence from Offshore Bank Accounts, published in February, in particular its finding that disbursements of aid to 22 of the most aid-dependent countries coincided with significant increases in the value of bank deposits in tax havens.

baroness sugg: We do not tolerate any misuse of UK aid and have robust systems in place to protect our investments. The Government welcomes research in international development, which can help to inform this. The World Bank is a key partner to the Government in international efforts to tackle corruption and has been assessed by the Government and other parties as having robust procedures to combat fraud and corruption in the use of its funds.

Iran: Coronavirus

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what practical assistance they have offered the government of Iran to help it to manage the COVID-19 outbreak.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK, jointly with E3 partners, have offered Iran a comprehensive package of both material and financial support to combat the rapid spread of the disease. This includes financial support of up to €5 million through the WHO or other UN agencies to fight the COVID-19 epidemic affecting Iran, and equipment for laboratory tests, as well as other equipment, including protective body suits and gloves.

Department for Education

Children in Care: Human Trafficking

lord mccoll of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children identified as potential victims of human trafficking have gone missing from local authority care in each financial year from 2009–10 to 2018–19.

lord mccoll of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what mechanisms are in place to monitor the number of children identified as potential victims of human trafficking who go missing from local authority care.

baroness berridge: Information on the number of looked after children who have been identified as potential victims of human trafficking and who go missing from care is not held centrally. The latest figures on looked after children who go missing in England as at 31 March are published in Table G1 of the statistical release ‘Children Looked after in England including adoptions: 2018 to 2019’, which is attached and is also available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2018-to-2019. Slavery and trafficking of children is a very serious offence and the government is committed to protecting children from this harm. The response to trafficking should be primarily about protecting victims and bringing those who exploit them to justice. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in their area, including child victims of modern slavery. The department’s statutory guidance for local authorities on care of unaccompanied migrant children and child victims of modern slavery is clear on authorities’ duties to work with local partners to protect child victims of modern slavery from further risk from their traffickers and preventing exploitation from taking place. In particular, there should be a clear understanding between the local authority and the police of their respective roles in planning for this protection and responding if a child victim of modern slavery goes missing. Section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 makes provisions for Independent Child Trafficking Advocates, which have been renamed Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs). ICTGs are an independent source of advice for trafficked children; somebody who can speak up on their behalf and act in the best interests of the child. Currently, ICTGs have been rolled out to one third of local authorities in England and Wales and the government remains committed to a national rollout.



HL1874_HL1875_Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 154.5 KB)

History: Education

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government what efforts they have made during their chairmanship of the Commonwealth Heads of Government to ensure that the history of the Commonwealth is taught in UK schools.

baroness berridge: The history curriculum gives teachers and schools the freedom and flexibility to use specific examples from history to teach pupils about the history of Britain and the wider world.There are opportunities within the themes and eras of the history curriculum for teachers and schools to teach about the history of the Commonwealth at Key Stages 1-3. Schools can teach about the Commonwealth at Key Stage 1, when teaching about events beyond or within living memory that are significant nationally or globally, and at Key Stage 2, within a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066. There are also opportunities at Key Stage 3, within the ‘ideas, political power, industry and empire: Britain, 1745-1901’ and ‘challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day’ themes. ‘Indian independence and end of Empire’ is one of the example topics in this latter theme. The Commonwealth also falls within the scope of the subject content set out for GCSE history.The government shared a Commonwealth Education Pack for teachers in 2018, in support of the UK’s hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that year. The pack is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/department-for-education-launches-commonwealth-education-pack, and has been attached.



HL1940_attachment
(PDF Document, 2.77 MB)

Training

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they provide to those who wish to retrain but do not meet the stated criteria for the national retraining scheme.

baroness berridge: The National Retraining Scheme will support working adults to prepare for future changes to the economy, including changes brought about by automation, and help them to retrain into better jobs.In addition to the National Retraining Scheme, our wider adult skills system seeks to improve productivity, employment levels and social inclusion. Programmes including apprenticeships, funded or co-funded skills provision through the Adult Education Budget and access to Advanced Learner Loans enable adults to gain the skills that they need to progress or reskill.The government is also providing an extra £3 billion to develop a National Skills Fund that helps adults to learn new skills and to prepare for the economy of the future.

Ministry of Justice

Cemeteries

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what regulations exist for the control of cemeteries mounding areas to create new burial spaces.

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what controls exist to protect graves of historical significance from mounding in (1) private, and (2) public, burial grounds.

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they ensure that the locations of early burials are (1) accurately recorded, and (2) accessible.

lord keen of elie: The management and maintenance of local authority burial grounds is subject to a comprehensive framework of regulation and guidance, and we anticipate that those operating private burial grounds (many of which are, in any event, regulated by bespoke legislation) will apply the same standards and principles.Graves and monuments of historical significance can be listed in the National Heritage List for England or scheduled in accordance with the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. Any changes to listed or scheduled monuments or graves require consent from the Historic England.The Law Commission’s forthcoming Programme of Law Reform includes a project to consider modernising and streamlining the law governing the disposal of human remains, with a view to putting forward a legal framework for the future.

Judicial Review

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many judicial reviews were conducted in England and Wales in each year from 1990 to 2019.

lord keen of elie: The table sets out the number of judicial reviews that were conducted in the High Court (Administrative Court) of England and Wales each year between 1999- Q3 2019. These are substantive hearings, and not applications for permission to apply for judicial review. They include all outcomes, including the substantive decision of ‘withdraw’. Unfortunately, statistics from before this time were unobtainable in the time available. Data for Q4 2019 is due to be published on 5th March 2020.The table also includes the number of judicial review disposals in the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum) Chamber from 2013 (when cases started to be heard there) and until Q3 2019. Importantly, this statistic includes all applications for permission to apply for judicial review, and not just the substantive hearings in stark contrast to the above number quoted for the Administrative Court, which only accounts for substantive hearings. The figures cannot be broken down into hearings conducted in the time available.YearJudicial review in the High Court (Administrative Court)Judicial reviews in the UTIAC (Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber) Substantive cases heardDisposals (inc.applications rejected)19991,117 20001,207 2001729 2002420 2003420 2004334 2005392 2006461 2007421 2008419 2009488 2010477 2011485 2012541 2013546329201439212,708201537418,788201633115,012201731511,48820182199,9712019 Q1-Q3576,529TOTAL10,14574,825

Female Genital Mutilation: Prosecutions

baroness jenkin of kennington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have been (1) prosecuted for, and (2) found guilty of, female genital mutilation in the UK.

lord keen of elie: In the period between the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 coming into force and 31 December 2018, there were 6 prosecutions and 0 convictions for female genital mutilation offences.The media, however, reported on one conviction early in 2019, but that covers a period for which statistics will be published in May 2020.

Special Educational Needs: Appeals

lord lingfield: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to compensate parents who have appealed to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal but whose first hearing was cancelled without adequate notice and as a result have incurred expense.

lord keen of elie: The First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) is free to access and use, but where appellants have incurred and can evidence financial loss as a consequence of the postponement of a hearing they may apply for a compensatory payment. Each application for an ex-gratia payment is treated on its own merits and dealt with in accordance with HM Courts & Tribunals Service’s complaints procedure. Examples of the types of claims which might be made include the payment of any legal expenses incurred and, where the hearing has been postponed at short notice, the payment of loss of earnings of witnesses who have been unable to find other remunerative employment on the date in question. In 2018/19 there were 17 applications for a compensatory payment, 14 of which related to the cancellation of the first hearing. The average sum paid was £2,347.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Floods

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) financial, and (2) other, support they have (a) provided, and (b) intend to provide to, local authorities in response to recent flood-related emergencies.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: In response to the recent storms, Government activated the Bellwin Scheme of emergency financial assistance on 10 February and extended this to more areas on 17 February. Ministers also activated the Flood Recovery Framework on 18 February, with support being provided to eligible local authorities to help local residents and businesses affected by the storms. Government has also announced the Property Flood Resilience Scheme to help homes and businesses become more resilient to flooding. Government is working with local authorities to assess the full extent of the flooding impacts and will release the funding to eligible local authorities in due course.Government has made Government Liaison Officers available to support affected areas during response and to support ongoing recovery.

Rough Sleeping Review

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the terms of Dame Louise Casey’s review into rough sleeping; and when she will report.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: Dame Louise Casey has been appointed to undertake a review into rough sleeping that will provide the Government with advice on additional action required to end rough sleeping within this Parliament. Dame Louise’s recommendations will inform the Government’s approach to meeting this manifesto commitment and will support the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to develop their Comprehensive Spending Review bid in summer 2020.Dame Louise will report to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. She will consider as part of the urgent review the links between 24-hour street activity and rough sleeping and how best we can support this group. It will also look into those struggling with drug and alcohol misuse, and those with physical and mental health issues.

Self-catering Accommodation: Non-domestic Rates

lord foster of bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish an analysis of the responses to their consultation which closed on 15 January 2019 on the business rates treatment of self-catering accommodation.

the earl of courtown: The Department is considering what further steps might be appropriate in the light of points made in responses to the consultation and will publish its analysis of those responses in due course.

Green Belt

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many hectares of land that were previously green belt have been removed from the green belt in local plans adopted in England in each year from 2011 to the present; and how many morehectares are proposed to be so removed in local plans yet to be adopted.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: The published annual statistical releases and associated tables at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/green-belt-statistics provide information on the local authority areas within which land had been transferred from the Green Belt - and the hectares of land involved - for each year from 2010-11 to 2018-19.In addition, Table 2 of the 2018-19 release provides figures for the net change in the size of the Green Belt for each year from 2010-11 to 2018-19 separately.Information for 2019-20 is due to be published in September or October 2020.The local plans process does not provide for the department to routinely receive information on the numbers of hectares of land proposed for removal from the Green Belt. Until a revised development plan is submitted to formal examination, any Green Belt boundary changes would be conjecture.



Green Belt Statistics 2018-2019
(PDF Document, 1.57 MB)

Green Belt

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to fulfil their Manifesto commitment to protect and enhance the green belt.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: In revising the National Planning Policy Framework we re-affirmed the protections for Green Belt. Under the strengthened “exceptional circumstances” test - applied if a local authority is considering adjustment of a Green Belt boundary – the authority is expected to show evidenced justification that it has examined all other reasonable options for meeting its development needs, and that Green Belt release is a last resort.The Framework also expects development plans to set out ways in which the impact of removing land from Green Belt will be offset by compensatory improvements to access and environmental quality in the rest of the Green Belt.

Green Belt: Oxford

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of any loss of green belt land as a result of the proposals in Cherwell District Council's Partial Review of Cherwell Local Plan 2011–2031to buildnew housing ongreen belt land in Oxford; and what steps they intend to take in response to any such assessment.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: Because of the Secretary of State’s quasi-judicial role in the planning system I am unable to comment on the detail or merits of individual development plans. National policy on Green Belts, and the Government’s expectations of how local authorities should protect them, are made clear in the National Planning Policy Framework, re-issued in February 2019.

Energy Performance Certificates

lord foster of bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the outcome of theirconsultation Energy Performance Certificates in buildings, which closed on 26 July 2018.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: BEIS and MHCLG will publish a summary of responses and plan to improve Energy Performance Certificates in due course.

Ministry of Defence

MOD Stafford

the earl of shrewsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to close 4 Site, MOD Stafford; and ifso, what is the envisaged timescale.

baroness goldie: The Defence Infrastructure Organisation are currently in negotiations to sell 4 Site, MOD Stafford.I am withholding the information in relation to when the site is intended for closure, as to do so would prejudice commercial interests.

MOD Stafford

the earl of shrewsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, should they decide to close 4 Site, MOD Stafford, the original owner of the site will have preferred bidder status.

baroness goldie: The site will be disposed of in accordance with Ministry of Defence standard procedures and treasury guidelines. The Department would offer any surplus land back to the former owner or their successors under the Crichel Down rules at the market value if the associated Crichel Down criteria are met, and prior to going to the open market.

Ministry of Defence: Carbon Emissions

lord tunnicliffe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total amount of carbon emissions for the Ministry of Defence each year.

baroness goldie: The Ministry of Defence 2018-19 carbon emissions from the defence estate and domestic business travel was 0.82 million tonnes of CO2e. Further details are available in the Department's Annual Report and Accounts at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-defence-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-19

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

lord mackenzie of culkein: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the three new Fleet Solid Support Ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary will be ordered; and what are the estimated in-service dates for each of those new ships.

baroness goldie: The Ministry of Defence is currently assessing the options for the fleet Solid Support ship programme, and as part of this process will review the requirement and any procurement strategy. It is not possible to provide any further details until this work has been completed.

Ministry of Defence: Sustainable Development

lord tunnicliffe: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the next Sustainable Ministry of Defence annual report will be published.

baroness goldie: For 2018-19 Sustainable Ministry of Defence reporting was integrated into the Annual Report and Accounts and this will continue for 2019-20.

Hospital Ships: Procurement

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any new hospital ship will be operational before the retirement of RFA Argus in 2024.

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will procure another helicopter training vessel before the retirement of RFA Argus in 2024.

baroness goldie: RFA ARGUS is the Ministry of Defence's Primary Casualty Receiving Ship. The consideration of options to deliver the capabilities provided by ARGUS after she leaves service remains ongoing.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Terminal Illnesses

lord mackenzie of culkein: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the operation of the special rules for terminal illness used in accessing disability benefits; whether those rules are appropriate for people with unpredictable terminal illnesses such as motor neurone disease; and what plans they have to review and amend those rules.

baroness stedman-scott: The Department is taking forward as a priority its evaluation of how the benefits system supports people nearing the end of their life and those with severe conditions. We have made progress on all areas of this work and will be continuing to engage with clinicians and claimants, including those affected by motor neurone disease, to ensure their views are heard.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Waste: Exports

the lord bishop of salisbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (HL226), what assessment they have made of how waste that is returned to its site of origin following inspection, or prevented from reaching ports, is (1) managed, and (2) processed, once returned to its site of origin.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Environment Agency (EA) is the competent authority for waste shipments for England. The actions taken by EA officers when they prevent a proposed waste shipment leaving a site or leaving a port will be determined on a case by case basis. When EA officers stop a shipment of waste at port, they oversee the return of the waste to either the site of origin or to an appropriately permitted waste facility. Waste can be held at port until the EA are satisfied that those responsible for the shipment have put appropriate measures in place to manage the waste in accordance with the relevant waste legislation. EA intervention at sites of loading will include officers explaining to businesses why waste cannot be exported, for example if there is evidence of poor waste quality or paperwork issues, and this intervention activity prevents thousands of tonnes of waste from being illegally exported each year. The EA addresses the illegal export of waste using an intelligence-led approach and EA officers will continue to monitor the compliance of those deemed at risk of illegal export, ensuring improvements are made and future shipments are compliant with the regulations.

Floods

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of climate change on the prevalance and severity of recent flooding; and what plans they have taken to review the (1) Bellwin scheme, and (2) aid and support provided to local authorities, to ensure that communities have sufficient resilience to withstand such events.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The second Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) published in 2017 identifies risks to flooding and coastal change as one of the UK’s top six risks from climate change. The second National Adaptation Programme (NAP) published in 2018, sets out a plan of actions across Government to address these risks (amongst others identified in the CCRA) over the following 5 years. In addition updated UK Climate Projections – UKCP18 – are a key tool to help the Government, businesses and the public understand the future climate and enable them to make climate-resilient decisions. The Government acted swiftly to activate the emergency Bellwin scheme to help local authorities cope with the cost of response in the immediate aftermath of recent flooding. The Bellwin scheme was activated after Storm Ciara on 10 February and Storm Dennis on 17 February 2020. Under the scheme, local authorities dealing with the flooding can apply to have 100% of their eligible costs, above a threshold, reimbursed by the government. The operation of the Bellwin Scheme was last reviewed in 2015. There are currently no plans to review it further. The Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government provides funding to local government to carry out functions including managing flood and coastal erosion risk, through the local government finance settlement.

Pesticides

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the legal requirements for local authorities to reporttheir use of glyphosate and other chemical pesticides and herbicides;and what central record is kept of the use of such chemicals.

lord gardiner of kimble: Pesticides, including glyphosate and other herbicides, are strictly regulated and their use is only authorised if a scientific risk assessment shows that there will be no harmful effect on human health and no unacceptable effects on the environment. There are specific risk assessments for the use of pesticides in amenity areas, which includes local authority use. There are also controls on the use of pesticides, including training of users and testing of application equipment. It is for local authorities to determine the need for pest and weed control in their operations and to decide how to deliver this effectively without harming people or the environment. There is a legal requirement to minimise the use of pesticides along roads and in areas used by the general public and a number of local authorities are exploring practices that help meet this requirement. Local authorities are not required to report their use of chemical pesticides and no central record is kept. The Government does commission and publish surveys of pesticide use. These focus mainly on the use of pesticides in farming, but surveys of amenity use have been carried out from time to time, most recently in 2016.

Drinking Water: Colne Valley

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure good-quality drinking water sources in the Colne Valley by 2027.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Government have put in place the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 which provide the framework for safe drinking water. Within these Regulations is the requirement for water companies to risk assess their supply systems and to keep those risk assessments under review. Risks identified in the risk assessment require mitigation. Any major constructions work within a water company’s area would result in a review of the risk assessment to identify any potential for impact and mitigation put in place to ensure drinking water meets the required standards and is safe for consumers.

Floods

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byViscount Younger of Leckie on 30 January (HL580), whether there is a map to show the areas at (1) current, and (2) future, risk of flooding in England.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Environment Agency’s (EA’s) Flood Map for Planning (https://flood-map-for-planning.service.gov.uk/) shows the current likelihood of flooding in England. This map takes into account extreme weather events. While this map does not look at future risks, for many parts of the country the EA assesses future climate impacts on flood and coastal risk through local detailed flood and coastal erosion modelling. These models and outputs can be made available on request to assist in the resilient design of new development. In addition, the EA is currently updating its national flood risk assessment. The new assessment will provide the information needed to guide and support flood risk management decisions and investment in a transparent and understandable way. It will give a dynamic, single story of flood risk for a location, for all sources of flooding, now and in the future, considering defence performance and regardless of scale.

Home Office

Migrant Workers: Interpreters

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the new points-based immigration system will accommodate public service interpreters who work on a freelance basis.

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there will be any flexibility in the new points-based immigration system's salary thresholds in respect of freelance public service interpreters who cannot guarantee their earnings levels.

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether public service interpreters working for the (1) NHS, (2) courts system, and (3) police, are regarded as (a) skilled, (b) high-skilled, or (c) low-skilled, workers.

baroness williams of trafford: On 19 February we published a policy statement setting out the United Kingdom’s future Points-Based Immigration System, which will work for all parts of the UK.We will not be creating a dedicated route for self-employed people, However. in due course, freelance workers will be able to benefit from the proposed unsponsored route as recommended by the independent Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC).Freelance workers contracted to provide services to an organisation can continue to be sponsored under the new skilled work route (which also allows them to work up to 20 hours a week for other organisations).Public service interpreters fall within standard occupational classification (SOC) code 3412; authors, writers and translators. Occupations within this SOC code are considered to be skilled at RQF 4 by the MAC.

British Nationality: Children

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to appeal the judgment made in Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens v Home Office, issued on 19 December 2019; and if they have no such plans, why they have not revised the fees for children applying for British citizenship, as set out in their policy paper Home Office immigration and nationality fees, published on 20 February.

baroness williams of trafford: The Secretary of State for the Home Department has been granted permission to appeal against the Court’s finding the Home Office did not have full regard to Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 when setting the fee in fees regulations.The Immigration and Nationality Fees Regulations 2018 were not found to be unlawful and the court case remains on-going. We will therefore continue to charge the fees set out in the fees regulations.

Human Trafficking: Victims

lord mccoll of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish guidance about identifying and supporting victims of human trafficking as required under section 49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government recognises that publishing statutory guidance under section 49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 is important in ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives.We aim to publish the guidance as soon as possible.

Guardianship

lord mccoll of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government since 30 January 2017 what percentage of children stopped receiving support from an independent guardian because they had turned 18 years old; and how many of those stopped receiving such support within 18 months of it starting.

baroness williams of trafford: Last year, the Government successfully rolled out Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs) in one third of local authorities in England and Wales.In July 2019, the Home Office published an evaluation of ICTGs in early adopter sites, conducted in collaboration with the University of Bedfordshire. The evaluation considered the added value of the ICTG service. It found that 21% of children left the service, from the period of February 2017 to January 2019, because they turned 18. This was the main reason why children left the service. Whilst ICTGs can work with a child for up to 18 months, the evaluation found that the average length of time a child spent in the service was six months. The evaluation can be viewed online via the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/an-evaluation-of-independent-child-trafficking-guardians-early-adopter-sites-final-reportThe Home Office will publish its next evaluation of the ICTG service later this year.



Evaluation of Ind Child Trafficking guardians
(PDF Document, 1.53 MB)

Slavery and Trafficking Reparation Orders

lord mccoll of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Slavery and Trafficking Reparation Orders under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 have been made in each financial year since the passing of thatAct; how many victims have received compensation as a result of those reparation orders; and what was the (1) total, and (2) average, amount of those compensation awards.

baroness williams of trafford: Data centrally held by the Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service records reparation orders issued as part of a community sentence and does not separately identify slavery and trafficking reparation orders issued under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.The latest available data on community sentences up to 2018 can be found at:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802314/outcomes-by-offence-tool-2018.xlsxThe Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act, which took place during 2018/19 examined the effectiveness of this provision and the compensation awarded to victims. The Reviewers recommended that this compensation should be at the forefront of the Court’s mind.

Migrant Workers: Social Services

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to involve councils in decisions about reform of the immigration system in relation to the adult social care workforce.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government published details of the new UK’s Points Based System on 19 February.A comprehensive programme of communication and engagement will be launched this month, focusing on users and key sectors. It will involve relevant stakeholders, including local authorities.

Electronic Surveillance

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the security services are granted access to encrypted messages in exceptional circumstances.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK Government supports strong encryption, which is a vital part of our digital economy, but we have been clear that technology companies should not deliberately design out their ability, and that of law enforcement agencies, to access content, even to prevent and detect the most serious crimes such as child sexual exploitation and abuse and terrorism. As the Director General of MI5, Sir Andrew Parker, made clear last week, lawful access to encrypted communications is a vital part of keeping our citizens safe.This is not just about one company. It is about protecting the public across the globe as technology develops. However, as we have made very clear, we are extremely concerned about Facebook’s current proposals to apply end-to-end encryption across their messaging services. The US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) estimates that these proposals would result in the loss of 12 million reports related to child abuse every year. The UK National Crime Agency (NCA) estimates that, in 2018, NCMEC reporting from Facebook will have resulted in more than 2500 arrests by UK law enforcement and almost 3000 children safeguarded in the UK.In order to make progress on this issue, we have been consistently clear that industry must be willing to engage in detailed, technical consultation with governments that can have a genuine impact on their design decisions and that is what the Home Secretary called for from Facebook in an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg on 4 October last year.We believe that this sort of engagement is necessary in order to identify potential solutions that can keep the public safe, without undermining cyber security or individuals’ privacy. We recently set out our approach to this issue in a testimony to Congress, clearly, factually and in significant detail, dispelling myths that prevent proper debate. We would encourage anyone who is interested in our position to read it in full https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/open-letter-to-mark-zuckerberg

Cabinet Office

Amazon Web Services: Government Departments

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the G-Cloud 8 call-off contract agreed with Amazon Web Services in 2016 specified that Amazon Web Services had no liability for "direct loss, destruction, corruption, degradation or damage to the Buyer Data or the Buyer Personal Data or any copy of such Buyer Data".

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many contracts they have agreed in the last five years with public cloud providers which specify that the server has no liability fordirect loss, destruction, corruption, degradation or damage to the Buyer Data or the Buyer Personal Data or any copy of such Buyer Data.

lord true: It is the responsibility of individual buying authorities to agree terms and conditions with their chosen supplier when calling off from a framework agreement.Specific terms and conditions agreed between parties when calling off from framework agreements are not reported back centrally to the Cabinet Office or the Crown Commercial Service.

Business: Billing

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it remains their policy that any supplier who bids for a government contract worth more than £5 million per annum must demonstrate that they pay 95 per cent of invoices within 60 days or be excluded from delivering the contract; and if so, how many such bidders have been excluded from delivering contracts on those grounds.

lord true: From September 2019, any supplier who bids for a Government contract above £5m per annum will be expected to pay 95% of invoices in 60 days across all their business. Any supplier who is unable to demonstrate a fair and responsible approach to the payment of their supply chain may be excluded from bidding.A small number of suppliers have been excluded to date for not achieving the expected standards. However, our aim is to drive improvement in performance and ensure subcontractors are paid promptly.

Quintessentially

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) whether they will publish the details of the contract between the Department for International Trade and Quintessentially, including the amounts paid to that company in each of the last three years, and (2) whether other Government departments or public bodies have contracts with that company.

lord true: Records of Government contracts above £10,000 in central government and £25,000 in the wider public sector are published on Contracts Finder:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search Details of spends over £25,000 are published on gov.uk:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dit-departmental-spending-over-25000

Joint Ministerial Committee

lord murphy of torfaen: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the next meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee will take place.

lord true: The Devolution Memorandum of Understanding established the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) - a committee structure which meets in different formats for intergovernmental relations, to enable ministers from the UK Government and Devolved Administrations to engage.Future meetings will be confirmed in the usual way.

British-Irish Council

lord murphy of torfaen: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the next meeting of the British–Irish Council will take place.

lord true: The next Summit meeting of the British-Irish Council will take place this summer and be hosted by the Scottish Government.

Treasury

Erasmus+ Programme and Horizon Europe

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their wish to avoid a role for the Court of Justice of the EU in resolving future disputes between the UK and the EU, what form of dispute resolution they would accept if the UK is to continue participating in the Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ programmes.

lord agnew of oulton: The Public Mandate states that the UK is ready to consider participation in certain EU programmes where it is in the UK's and the EU’s interest that the UK does so. The UK will consider a relationship in line with non-EU Member State participation for the following programmes: Horizon Europe, Euratom Research and Training, and Copernicus. The UK will consider service access agreements for the following programmes: EU Space Surveillance and Tracking, and the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service. Existing agreements on programmes between the EU and third countries establish dispute resolution mechanisms that do not include recourse to the ECJ. The UK’s priority in negotiations is to ensure that the UK restores its economic and political independence on 1 January 2021. That is the Government’s primary objective. Any agreement must be consistent with this. The UK must have full control over its own laws and the Government will not accept demands for the UK to follow EU law or accept the judgements of the ECJ.

Flood Control: Finance

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional capital resources they plan to make available to theGovernments of (1) Wales, (2) Scotland, and (3) Northern Ireland, to fund capital expenditure in the financial year 2020–21 on flood prevention projects.

lord agnew of oulton: Flood prevention is a devolved policy area. It is for the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive to determine how to allocate their funding across their devolved responsibilities, including to flood prevention. In 2020-21, the devolved administrations have the following capital block grants: £ 5,014m for the Scottish Government, £2,181m for the Welsh Government, and £1,524m for the Northern Ireland Executive. The Barnett formula is being applied in the normal way on any planned changes in UK government departmental budgets, as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy, including to any additional funding for flooding in England.

Floods: Wales

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional money, over and above that provided by the Barnett formula, they intend to provide to the Welsh Government for the current financial year to meet any additional costs arising from flood damage and alleviation work for (1) households, (2) businesses, (3) farms, and (4) to secure the safety of coal tips.

lord agnew of oulton: The devolved administrations can access the HM Treasury Reserve in certain circumstances, as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy. The Welsh Government has not made any requests to access the Reserve in 2019-20 for flooding damage or alleviation work.

Tourism: VAT

lord foster of bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last reviewed the case for reducing VAT on accommodation and attractions to assist the tourism industry; what conclusions they reached; and whether they will publish the analysis that led to those conclusions.

lord agnew of oulton: At Spring Statement 2018, the Government launched a call for evidence on the impact of VAT and Air Passenger Duty on tourism in Northern Ireland, which also considered UK-wide changes. The response to the call for evidence was published at Budget 2018.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords: Official Hospitality

baroness d'souza: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what percentage of total House of Lords hospitality venue bookings were for the Home Room in the last year for which figures are available.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf. In 2019 there were 184 events serving 3,289 guests in the Home Room. This accounted for 37% of all venue bookings for House of Lords hospitality in the Attlee, Home and Chomondeley Rooms.The events generated an income of £180,720, of which £20,208 was for facility fees.